|
Author
|
Topic: Tone Control
|
Wally Taylor
Member From: Hardin, Kentucky, USA
|
posted 03 October 2006 06:13 PM
profile
I suppose there is a good reason for steel guitar makers not to include a tone control on their guitars. I kinda understand not having a volume control, but wouldn't a tone control on the guitar be more useful than just at the amp? Or am I all wet with this question?Thanks,
Wally Taylor |
Tim Bridges
Member From: Hoover, Alabama, USA
|
posted 03 October 2006 06:53 PM
profile
Some have it, some don't. Depends on what you have. |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
|
posted 03 October 2006 07:33 PM
profile
Wally, I think you are absolutely right in your question . To me it makes no sense why there aren't tone AND volume controls on the guitars...or at least two pickups, for that matter.I think that some popular brands started making them that way and that's the way the rest followed. I suppose they thought "theri" sound was so good they didn't need anything but one tone. Too bad, because they (and their players) are missing out on a wealth of tonal possibilities. With steel being used in more varied styles, it becomes a significant issue. the single treble-enhanced straight-through tone flat doesn't work without a bunch of stompboxes, and you're still missing some critical interplay of the guitar tone/volume circuit. It's one reason I like my Fenders - tone and volume controls...and I added a second pickup to my 400. It makes a HUGE difference in the available sounds. My MSA Classic had volume and tone controls - but they were so badly matched to the pickup impedance IMO that they simple dialed in "more suck" or "less suck"... |
John Daugherty
Member From: Rolla, Missouri, USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 08:31 AM
profile
It's a matter of personal preference and the type of genre you play. I have never used volume or tone controls on lead guitar or steel guitar. I prefer the sound I get by setting the guitar controls at max and adjusting the tone with the amp. I would prefer to have a guitar with no controls whatsoever.
After playing thousands of jobs, my tonal preference hasn't changed. Maybe it's because I never could or wanted to sound like someone else. When I work with a band doing classic standards, I may play the licks that were used on the recordings but I will use my tone.
Find a way to get the tone you want and do it your own way. You gotta like yourself, first. The rest will follow. ------------------
www.home.earthlink.net/~johnd37
|
Jack Stoner
Sysop From: Inverness, Florida
|
posted 04 October 2006 08:40 AM
profile
My 71 PP Emmons had a Tone control. I never used it. My 81 Franklin does not have one and I've never "missed" it. |
Don Sulesky
Member From: Hernando, Fl. usa
|
posted 04 October 2006 09:12 AM
profile
Both my ShoBud SuperPro and Emmons Le Grande II have tone controls and I've used them many times when I need to cut the highs for a song or two. I find them very handy to have. It's a personal choice thing of course.
Don |
Gene Jones
Member From: Oklahoma City, OK USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 09:43 AM
profile
The absence of tone & volume controls on modern steel guitars was the reason for the birth of the Goodrich 7A. It was an excellant fix for that omission, and great for fine tuningof those functions when plugging into strange amplifiers on a jam or concert stage! |
Michael Haselman
Member From: St. Paul Park, Minnesota, USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 10:08 AM
profile
I believe my Mullen has the best of both worlds. It has a tone control, but also a switch to bypass from the circuit. I haven't used it yet, but maybe someday if I want that wah-wah effect...------------------
Mullen RP, Webb 6-14E, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. |
Wally Taylor
Member From: Hardin, Kentucky, USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 11:46 AM
profile
Are there any aftermarket tone controls available for a steel? Thanks,
Wally |
John Daugherty
Member From: Rolla, Missouri, USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 01:49 PM
profile
The Hilton volume pedal has a tone control, accessible, by screwdriver, through a hole in the bottom of the pedal. You could run the wires from that control to a control mounted in a small box attached to the guitar leg.
That would give you a good tone control, assuming you already have a Hilton pedal.
Keith, are you paying attention ????  ------------------
www.home.earthlink.net/~johnd37
|
Lynn Oliver
Member From: Redmond, Washington, USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 02:44 PM
profile
What about something like the DOD FX10 Bi-FET preamp? It has a tone control.Lynn |
Eric Jaeger
Member From: Oakland, California, USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 03:46 PM
profile
Interesting. I read an interview with Larry Cragg recently in which he talked about having bypassed the tone and volume controls on Neil Young's Les Paul, and claimed the tone difference was "unbelievable". The experimental challenge is obvious :-) Any one want to try and report on it :-) ?-eric |
George Macdonald
Member From: Lantzville, BC, Canada
|
posted 04 October 2006 04:33 PM
profile
Wally, There is an aftermarket volume or volume and tone control unit that clips to the leg of your guitar. They are made by kickinsteel.com and Al Brisco at Steel Guitars of Canada stocks them. George |
Wally Taylor
Member From: Hardin, Kentucky, USA
|
posted 04 October 2006 06:37 PM
profile
Than you George, I will check it out. If for nothing else, at least it will satisfy my curiosity as to wheather I think it helps or not. I know all my electric six strings have both volume and tone controls and I used them all the time. Should be the same for a steel in my mind. If guys are happy without them, then hey, that's great too. Me, I just like to see what's out there and what I can do with this 10 string monster that seems bent on consuming all my spare time.
Again, thanks to all that replyed and what a great medium this forum is and what a great bunch of people to be associated with. If you have a question, people are out there ready and willing to help you. Doesn't get any better than this!!
Wally |
Bryan Bradfield
Member From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
posted 04 October 2006 07:01 PM
profile
Contact forumite John Bechtel. I met John in Nashville at the Station Inn this past spring when he was introducing his unit to John Hughey. He calls it a boo-wah. The tone caps are preset and are switched to rather dialed in. It is described and pictured at the bottom of this page: http://community-2.webtv.net/FT8Custom/InquiringMindswant/ |
Jim Sliff
Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
|
posted 05 October 2006 05:01 PM
profile
I'm going to have to check all these things out - the ONLY thing I don't like about my GFI Ultra is the absence of tone/volume controls.Some people seem to think that the floor volume pedal and amp tone controls will do it all, but the guitar-mounter circuits sound completely different...plus are much more accessible. I've just never understood why they are NOT there - they were on early steels...Fenders all had 'em. I have the same tonal issue with single pickups. You can do SO much more with two pickups - I mounted a second on my Fender 400 and it opens up a whole new world of sounds. I'd love to see one of the major steel manufacturers start making guitars with two pickups PLUS tone and volume controls - most player do not have any idea what they are missing by being locked into one sound. |
Chris LeDrew
Member From: Newfoundland, Canada
|
posted 05 October 2006 05:13 PM
profile
Josh Grange w/ Dwight Yoakam has a Pentad pickup in his Pro 1 with a 5-way switch installed underneath the guitar. His tone options are limitless.......just sounds great. |
Michael Haselman
Member From: St. Paul Park, Minnesota, USA
|
posted 06 October 2006 08:21 AM
profile
Jim, I believe the main reason tone controls stopped being installed is to have less clutter in the signal chain. As you know, us steelers like as pristine and clean a tone as possible. Less stuff to rob the high end.------------------
Mullen RP, Webb 6-14E, Peavey NV112, Hilton volume. |
The Steel Guitar Forum
